State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Releases Statement in Response to State of the Union Address

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s March 7, 2024, State of the Union Address:

Last night, President Biden issued a call to action for our nation: To invest in the future of the United States by supporting our earliest learners to thrive.

I am pleased to celebrate the fact that President Biden’s national education agenda mirrors the important work that we have underway in California schools. The President’s call to ensure that every three- and four-year-old has access to preschool and to ensure that every child learns to read by third grade echo our work to invest in early learning, reading specialists, and proven professional development for teachers of literacy.

President Biden also called for more access to internships so that all students can discover their passions and develop career-ready skills. I am proud of our work to invest in paid internships for our young people, which directly connect California youth with opportunities in high-growth, high-wage industries.

I invite all Californians to follow these initiatives and all other projects of Transforming Schools, our strategic initiatives agenda, which prioritize and align these historic investments in public education.

For more information on Transforming Schools, Superintendent Thurmond’s Strategic Initiatives Agenda, please visit the CDE Transforming Schools: Superintendent’s Initiatives web page.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100